Method of removing and replacing split ring shaft locks

ABSTRACT

The method and apparatus for the removal and installation of split ring type shaft locks wherein, one, a tubular die is employed to receive a shaft and enable the separation of the collar portion of the shaft lock from the split ring portion, two, a die and press assembly is employed to remove the split ring from the shaft, three, the split ring is reinstalled by placing the split ring in the tubular die and pressing on the shaft, and four, a second tubular die is employed which receives the now-in-place split ring and enables the collar to be placed over it by applying pressure to the collar.

iliiited States atent 11 1 Rigsby et al. June 4, 1974 [54] METHOD OFREMOVING AND REPLACING 1,347,490 7/1920 Beach 29/267 SPLIT RING SHAFTLOCKS 2,484,043 lO/l949 Malen 1 29/267 3,099,875 8/1963 Lelis l 29/267Inventors: Thayer g y, 3405 Camelia 3,747,195 7/1973 Rigsby et al.29/229 Largo, Fla. 33540; Burl K. Rigsby, 1 10 Snnwood ManchesterPrimary ExaminerCharles W. Lanham Tenn' 37355 Assistant Examiner-JamesR. Duzan [22] Filed: Mar. 20, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 236,128 ABSTRACT vThe method and apparatus for the removal and instal- 52 us. 01 29/42729/229 29/267 1890" Of Split ring yp shaft locks erein, one, a tu-29/401 72/412 72/456 bular die is employed to receive a shaft and enablethe [51 Int. Cl .f 1825 19/02 Separation of the collar Portion of theshaft lock from 581 Field of Search 29/427 229 255, 244 sPlit ringPortion two, a die and Press assembly is 29/2 7 2 2 401 453 'DIG' (5 72412: employed to remove the split 'ring from the shaft, 416 450 three,the split ring is reinstalled by placing the split ring in the tubulardie and pressing on the shaft, and [56] References Cited four, a secondtubular die is employed which receives the now-in-place split ring andenables the collar to be UNITED STATES PATENTS placed over it byapplying pressure to the collar. 1,034,726 8/l9l2 Mueller et al. 29/2671,172.76! 2/1916 Berkstresser 29/267 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures METHODOF REMOVING AND REPLACING SPLIT RING SHAFT LOCKS BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to a method and means for the removaland installation of split ring type shaft locks.

Split ring type shaft locks, which include a split locking ring and acollar which fits over it when the splitring is in place in a groove ona shaft, are widely used to position rotary elements on a shaft. Suchshaft locks are extensively used on certain make automobile startershafts. There is a substantial volume of starter overhaul work, usuallyperformed in small shops and the chore of removal and installation ofsplit ring shaft locks usually requires several minutes of labor becauseof the lack of a tool assembly to enable this work to be performed. moreexpeditiously. It is to be noted that each time that one of thesestarters is disassembled it is necessary to remove the split ring shaftlock and upon reassembly to reinstall it on the shaft. With conventionalhand tools the operation is noteasy to perform and requires asignificant portion of the total time required for starter overhaul.This is in turn, of course, reflected in the cost of the work.

It is, accordingly, the object of the present invention to provide animproved method and apparatus assembly for the performance of each ofthe steps involved in this the removal and reinstallation of such shaftlocks, thus enabling a significant reduction in the time required forsuch operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa toolassembly as contemplated by the present invention. 7 FIG. 2 is an endview of the die assembly shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of assembly 16 shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section of tubular die 20 shown in FIG. I.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section of tubular die 42 shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, thereis shown in FIG. 1 a

perspective view of tool or tool assembly 10, constructed in accordancewith the invention. Tool assembly includes three related assemblies,collar removal and ring insertion assembly 12, collar installationassembly l4, and split ring removal assembly 16, all secured upon arectangular base 18. Collar removal and ring insertion assembly 12comprises vertically disposed tubular die 20, having lower end 21secured to base 18 at a point 22 near rear side 24 and forward ofcenter. Tubular die has central longitudinal opening dimensioned toslidably accept an armature or other shaft 28, equipped with split ringtype shaft lock 30. Split ring lock (FIG. 5) consists ofsplit ring 32,positioned on shaft 28 by peripheral groove 34 and locked in position bycircular collar 36. Annular ring insertion recess 38 formed about upperextremity 40 of central opening 26 is adapted to receive split ring 32to be assembled to shaft 28.

Collar installation assembly 14 comprises a second vertically disposedtubular die 42 having lower end 44 firmly secured to base 18 at a point46 opposite die 20 and similarly spaced from near side 48 of base 18.Die 42 has central opening 50 dimensioned to slidably accept shaft 28and has conically configured upper section 52 terminating in planarsurface 54, adapted to mate with and support split ring 32.

Split ring removal assembly 16, a particularly sigificant aspect andportion of the invention, generally occupies central region 56 ofmounting base 18. It includes a pair of U-shaped pedestals 58 and 60preferably formed of lengths of rectangular bar, having parallelvertically dipsosed end elements 62 and 64 interconnected by horizontalsection 66. Spaced pedestals 58 and 60, being transversely disposed,have free ends 68 secured to base 18, in lateral alignment, on a line 70near front end 72 of base 18. Transverse axially aligned guide rods 74and 76 (FIG. 2), are slidably supported by similarly aligned holes 78,drilled in end elements 62 and 64 of pedestals 58 and 60,. immediatelybelow horizontal section 66. lnwardly dipsosed end regions 80 and 82'ofguide rods 74 and 76, respectively, are configured to provide ringextracting jaws 84 and 86 having opposed knife-edge end surfaces 88 and90, respectively, contoured to mate with peripheral surface 92 of shaft28, and provided with planar rear surfaces 94 and 96, respectively,occupying a common plane being adapted to engage forward side 98 ofsplit ring 32. Each of guide rods 74 and 76 is radially supported byguide pin 100 frictionally retained within lateral holes 102 drilledthrough rods 74 and 76 adjacent inner surface 104 of vertical endelements 64. Guide pins 100 are slidably supported within elongate slot106 (FIG. I), milled in horizontal element 66 of pedestals 58 and 60.Desired inward travel of rods 74 and 76 is limited by roll pin 108frictionally retained within lateral holes 110 formed near outer ends112 of rods 74 and 76. Extracting jaws 84 and 86 are urged into springbiased engagement with shaft 28 and split ring 32 by compressionsprings-114, retained about rods 74 and 76, being supported by guidepins 100, and inner surface 116 of end elements 62. Split ring 32 isremoved from shaft 28 by lever actuated toggle action press 118 incooperation with extracting jaws 84 and 86. Press 118 has integrallyformed frame assembly 120 provided with mounting brackets, only one,122, of which is shown, being centrally secured by bolts 124 near rearend 126 of mounting base 18. Press frame 120 includes linear bearing 128adapted to slidably journal plunger shaft 130 in an essentially axialalignment with armature or other shaft 28 when supported by extractingjaws 84 and 86 as shown in FIG. I. Shaft contacting tip 132, preferablyof tool steel, is threadably secured to outer end 134 of plunger shaft130, being locked in position by locking nut 136. Opposite end 138 ofshaft 130 is pivotally interconnected to operating lever 140 by spacedcoupling links 142, secured through aligned holes 144 by rivets 146..S-shaped operating lever 140 is configured into hand grip at upper end152 and is pivotally supported at lower end 154 by spaced support arms156, provided with aligned holes 158, adapted to accept rivet attachedthrough hole, not shown, drilled near lower end 154 of lever 140.

OPERATION To remove split ring type shaft lock 30 from shaft 28, firstinsert end 162 (FIG. 4) of shaft 28, to which lock 30 is assembled, intocentral opening 26 of tubular die 20, causing upper surface 164 of dieto engage lower rim 166 of collar 36 (FIG. 4). Apply a downward force toshaft 28 to separate collar 36 from ring 32. To remove split ring 32from shaft 28, first push operating lever 140 toward rear end 168 ofpress 118 so that plunger tip 132 clears inward end 162 of shaft 28.Shaft 28 is positioned as shown in FIG. 1, with shaft 28 and ring 32being fully engaged with end surfaces 88 and 90 (H0. 2) and rearsurfaces 94 and 96, respectively of extracting jaws 84 and 86. Whilemaintaining shaft 28 in an essentially horizontal position, pulloperating lever [40 forward. Plunger tip 132 engages inner end 162 ofshaft 28 urging shaft 28 forward to transfer split ring 32 from shaft 28to plunger tip 132. Collar 36 may now be easily removed from shaft 28thus completing the removal procedure.

To reassemble shaft lock 30 to shaft 28, first slide collar 36 overshaft 28 such that inner recess 170 of collar 36 faces outward end 162of shaft 28, then proceed as follows:

lnsert split ring 32 into upper recess 38 of die 20 (FIG. 1) and whilemanually retaining collar 36 on shaft 28 with forefinger 29 orient shaft28 to vertical position and push end 162 of shaft 28 through split ring32, until split ring 32 engages ring receptacle 34 of shaft 28. Removeshaft 28 from die 20 and slide end 162 of shaft 28 into central opening50 of tubular die 42, allowing split ring 32 to rest on upper surface 54of die 42. While so positioned, gently tap exposed upper surface 172 ofcollar 36 with mallet, or other suitable tool, not shown, to againengage collar 36 over split ring 32, and thus split ring lock isreplaced on shaft 28.

What is claimed is:

l. A mechanical shop process for the removal and assembly ofa split ringshaft lock wherein said shaft lock comprises a split ring and a collarfor enclosing and holding said split ring in a groove on a shaftcomprising the steps:

placing a shaft, with installed said shaft lock, in a tubular die of adimension wherein a shoulder of the tubular die engages said collar andthen passing on the shaft whereby the collar is moved from over saidsplit ring;

placing the shaft between the spring biased jaws of a split ring removalassembly having additionally and extensible arm operated by a lever andwherein the end of said arm is pressed against the end of said shaftwhen said lever is operated enabling the split ring to be removed fromsaid shaft;

reinstalling said split ring by placing it in a split ring holdinggroove in an end of said tubular die and pressing the shaft through thesplit ring until the split ring is positioned in the groove on theshaft; and

placing the end of said shaft in a second tubular die having a shoulderadapted to support said split ring and then pressing said collar backover said split ring.

1. A mechanical shop process for the removal and assembly of a split ring shaft lock wherein said shaft lock comprises a split ring and a collar for enclosing and holding said split ring in a groove on a shaft comprising the steps: placing a shaft, with installed said shaft lock, in a tubular die of a dimension wherein a shoulder of the tubular die engages said collar and then passing on the shaft whereby the collar is moved from over said split ring; placing the shaft between the spring biased jaws of a split ring removal assembly having additionally and extensible arm operated by a lever and wherein the end of said arm is pressed against the end of said shaft when said lever is operated enabling the split ring to be removed from said shaft; reinstalling said split ring by placing it in a split ring holding groove in an end of said tubular die and pressing the shaft through the split ring until the split ring is positioned in the groove on the shaft; and placing the end of said shaft in a second tubular die having a shoulder adapted to support said split ring and then pressing said collar back over said split ring. 